Saxophonist Don Aliquo of Lower Burrell is one of the steadiest providers in the area jazz scene.
He loves jazz and is intent on playing even when the number of gigs steadily decreases.
"The art is just too real, too meaningful," he says. "It's self-satisfying and challenging."
Aliquo used to perform in the shadow of his son, Don Jr., who plays the same instrument and seemed to be even more noticeable when he was in Pittsburgh area. He now is head of jazz studies at Middle Tennessee State University.
The elder Aliquo has been performing since the late '50s, when he graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and joined drummer Rodger Ryan in what he calls a Dave Brubeck-influenced group. He hit the national road for a bit but found "the call wasn't for jazz, but for Bill Haley and The Comets."
So he came home and started teaching at what is now the Highlands School District. But says he "never missed a beat playing all kinds of jobs."
That shows is his play, which is clear, refined and capable of going in all directions. And the best part is that it is possible to hear him often.
Pick your favorite captain:
• A. Kirk
• B. Kangaroo
• C. Crunch
• D. Jack Sparrow
B. Kangaroo. I Like kids and being creative with them.
My favorite sandwich, plus fixings:
Genoa salami with Italian bread and chopped ham with mustard and onion on white bread.
One word your mother would use to describe you:
Active.
Celebrity crush:
Jean Tierney.
The oldest thing in my refrigerator is:
A stick of pepperoni.
When I was 10, I wanted to be:
A big-league baseball player. A shortstop.
Exercise I hate most:
All of them.
I'm deathly afraid of:
Heights.
Choose one:
• A. Dogs
• B. Cats
Cats -- only the friendly kind.
In high school, I was:
Athletic.
The most famous person I ever became friends with:
Jazz guitarist Joe Pass.
What you'll always find in my glove compartment:
Pretzels.
If I weren't a musician, I'd be:
A basketball coach.
It's not pizza without:
Anchovies.
My childhood nickname was:
Donnie and/or Quin.
My favorite "bad" movie is:
"Bad Santa."
My first job:
Cleaning my father's barbershop -- the Vendome Barber Shop in Johnstown.
My worst job:
Digging ditches.
My favorite cable channel:
C-Span.
Life would be better without:
Wars.
If I could tour with any two bands, they would be:
Bassist Dave Holland and trumpeter Dave Douglas.
People would be surprised to know that I:
Jog.
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